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Summary: IF REPETION IS THE LAW OF ABIDING IMPRESSIONS, THEN....
Review: I love Louis L'amour westerns and I had great hopes that this non-western "WALKING DRUM" would equal the excellence of his westerns--and it did for several chapters. After awhile, however, the book became so repetitive that you could anticipate what would happen next. I gave the book 2 stars only because it did keep my interest for a few chapters.
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Summary: A sweeping saga
Review: I must admit that L'Amour is not my favorite writer but this book was hard to put down. It is a sweeping vision of a time that is little touched upon in most history courses. The best part of the book are the wonderful descriptions of Muslim Spain and the section inside the Assassins' stronghold. L'Amour's style is clear and he depicts his characters as very human but as heroic humans. I highly recommend it. It is especially good reading for high schoolers.
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Summary: It hurts me to be this hard on Mr. L'Amour
Review: I have read at least 40 L'Amour books and this is by far his worst. ALthough an interesting setting and a nice change for Mr. L'Amour, the character was most annoying. He spent the majority of the book talking about how great he was and how smart he was and how smart people keep their mouth shut. Every single person the character met he ends up saying something that makes the person want to kill him. By the end of the book, there's about 4,000 people who want to kill him. I couldn't stand reading this book. It hurts me to be this hard on Mr. L'Amour, but this book was horrible.
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Summary: MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME
Review: This is the only book I have EVER given 5 stars. Why? Because it is that friggin' good. Do I sound enthusiastic? Weird huh? Well get this book, it is nothing like his westerns but you will not be disappointed. I truly feel sorry for you if you pass up a chance to read this book at least once in your life. I read it when I was 15 or 16 years old and have reread it several times. Amazing story.
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Summary: Not literature. But loveable all the same!
Review: In this best-selling historical novel, L'Amour plots an epic adventure story with furious action and intrigue. He departs from his renowned Western setting in order to paint a story on the rich canvas of Medieval Europe. The colorful backdrop of characters includes Goths, Persians, Greeks, Normans, Jews, Syrians, Slavs, Arabas, Franks, Moors, Saxons and Englanders, with a myriad of vocations (artisans, cobblers, weavers, potters, armorers and innkeepers), from a variety of classes, including nobility (barons, lords, and clergymen) ruffians and vagabonds (archers, swordsman) and performers (jugglers, magicians and acrobats). The scope of this novel is enormous, and covers territory including Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey. The main character is Kerbouchard, who meets action a plenty as he seeks to avenge the death of his mother and rescue his captured father. Kerbouchard's aim is to find his father, a fortune and a beautiful female friend, and his vast experiences give him a large measure of success on all accounts. Kerbouchard is a portrayed as a warrior, lover and scholar, and it is his ability to adapt to a variety of roles that ensures his survival: from seafarer, to galley slave, to soldier, to scholar, to linguist, to vagabond, to merchant, to physician. Brash, brazen and arrogant, he is not always loveable, but in the complex medieval world in which he is placed, it is these qualities that enable him to succeed. The medieval era in which he lives is one where the sword speaks more than words, where fighting comes first and questions come later. Yet from the outset, he is equipped with the maxim of an experienced man: "Trust to your wits, boy, and to your good right hand." (p.2) Kerbouchard comes to appreciate the value of both a sharp sword and a sharp mind (p.76). One both accounts he is a rather larger-than-life hero, since his accomplishments with both sword and mind are so vast as to defy the imagination. It is especially to the latter that Kerbouchard devotes his attention, convinced that "knowledge might be power, but it was also the key to survival." He rejects both Christianity and the Moslem religion, the dominant religions of the day, in favor of an open quest for truth, since knowledge and learning are better than money or health and strength (p.66). Here L'Amour glorifies the "spirit of inquiry" and thirst for learning, as Kerbouchard hungrily pursues knowledge of physics, astronomy, geography, philosophy, mathematics, astrology, medicine, logic, religion, politics, law, natural sciences, necromancy, drama, poetry, military tactics, navigation, history, and chemistry. Does "The Walking Drum" have any deeper significance beyond a racing plot set on a rich historical tapestry? Consider this: Is Kerbouchard a mouthpiece for L'Amour when he confesses his paganism, and quest for truth over against the great institutions of learning, when he says "I have reverence for all who ask questions and seek honest answers... I suspect all who claim to have THE truth" (p.245) and "dogma is invariably wrong, as knowledge is always in a state of transition." (p.255)? Certainly his espousal of the philosophy of self-determination is typical L'Amour: "Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow. The wish, however, must be implemented by deeds." (p.373) Certainly this novel does raise questions about the truth of such a philosophy, as well as the importance of a personal quest for learning. One does not have to agree with Kerbouchard to find value in the discussion of these philosophical questions. But ultimately this book is not a book about philosophy - it's a historical novel. L'Amour is convinced that too little attention is given in Western society to the significant contribution of the Chinese, Indian and Moslem world to our civilization, and he wishes to correct this by introducing readers to a more balanced history of this era by means of a historical novel. The dark ages may have been dark for Western Europe, but it is L'Amour's contention that in the Moslem world of the East it was time of prosperity and growth. There can be little doubt that L'Amour succeeds in achieving this aim. But even where he doesn't, there is no doubt that he's made his own unique and satisfying contribution to the piles of enjoyable adventure novels. If you're looking for depth or for perceptive insights about human nature, you won't find it in "The Walking Drum." This is not literature. But it is a great and swashbuckling adventure story, well-researched and rich in historical detail, with just the right blend of suspense, adventure, romance and history. And those elements make it a story that you won't regret reading.
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Summary: Wonderful story filled with subtle philosophy. Incredible!!
Review: I have been an avid reader of L'amour's Westerns and, aside from Sackett's Land (which isn't completely non-western), I had never read any of his non-western titles until I read this. Louis L'amour did a fantastic job on The Walking Drum with so many intricate plots working at once with the coming of age of Mat Kerbouchard, his never-ending quest for his father, all the side romance plots, not to mention his yearning for learning. No type of story-telling is forgotten. A masterful work indeed!
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Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I love this book and have read it multiple times over the years. It is by far my favorite book by LL and one that I never tire of reading. I would venture to say that when you look up "great fiction" you will find this novel listed near the top. So what are you waiting for? Get it!
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Summary: The Best historical Fiction novel. Ever.
Review: L'amour is a master storyteller. Indeed, he is the best I have ever read. He is not, however, Homer, or Shakespeare, nor did he intend to be. He wrote, in this story, the best historical tale that has been told in our time. You will note among these reviews that there are only two kinds among them: those who give the book the highest rating, and those who give it only one or two stars. I could not give a book a stronger reccommendation.
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Summary: Historically accurate and full of action
Review: Those who enjoy reading of medieval Europe, a lively adventure and historical accuracy will love this book. Don't be fooled though; this no tale of knights in armor! L'Amour is an excellent writer, and this work of his shows off just how much research he did on the subject before taking pen to paper. Add to this the realistic adventure he cooks up and the book is nearly impossible to put down! I recommend it to all my friends. -tk
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Summary: A L'AMOUR CLASSIC
Review: The classic L'Amour novel, unlike anything he's ever done before or since. For those who dismiss L'Amour as being a mere western writer this great book will change forever your opinion of him. It's filled with engaging charactors, facinating detail, and some of the best writing this wordsmith ever commited to paper. My only gripe is this; Back in the sixties when this book was first proposed L'Amour was faced with such resistance by his publisher that he shelved it for more than a decade. Originally it was to be the first book in a trilogy that would continue Kerbauchard's adventures. Unfortunatly L'Amour went on to that ranch in the heavens before he could do it. Still we have this one.
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